Christmas Caramel Murder Read Free Page B

“Ricky-Ticky has appointed Phyllis Bates as this year’s Mrs. Claus!”
    It was all Hannah could do to keep from speaking several words she would never utter around her young nieces. Everyone knew that Lisa had been hoping to be Mrs. Claus this year. Herb had played Santa for the past four years running, passing out gift bags with candy and cookies to the children in the audience right after the Lake Eden Players had performed their Christmas play. Lisa, as Herb’s wife in real life, was the logical choice for Mrs. Claus. And everyone, Hannah included, had thought that this would be Lisa’s year to have that honor. And now Mayor Bascomb had arbitrarily given the role to Herb’s former girlfriend, Phyllis.
    Delores reached out to pat Lisa’s hand. “To tell the truth, I can’t stand Phyllis either. She certainly could never be mistaken for a lady!”
    Lisa responded with a shaky smile. “That’s true,” she said in a small voice.
    Hannah wanted to say something supportive, but she wasn’t sure what it should be. She didn’t like Phyllis either. There had been several incidents in high school involving the bouncy blond cheerleader wearing too-tight sweaters and too-short skirts that had caused Hannah to harbor less than affectionate feelings for her. But telling Lisa about her own feelings wouldn’t comfort her. Hannah’s great-grandmother Elsa had always said that actions spoke louder than words, and Hannah reached over to give Lisa a hug.
    â€œThere’s something else I have to tell you,” Delores said. “We have to find another candy company. The one the town council used last year just went out of business. That means we can’t sell candy during the intermissions. You have no idea how upset Tory is about that! This is her first play and she was hoping it would be a huge success.”
    â€œI can understand that,” Hannah said. Victoria Bascomb, or Tory, as she preferred to be called, was the mayor’s sister. A wealthy and successful actress who had recently retired from the stage, Tory Bascomb had moved to Lake Eden and taken over as the director of the Lake Eden Players.
    â€œWe won’t have anything to sell at intermission,” Delores continued, “not even popcorn now that we lost the popcorn machine.”
    â€œ Lost it?” Hannah was puzzled. How could you lose a concession-stand size popcorn machine? It was huge!”
    â€œNot that way! We didn’t physically lose it. But we’ve always borrowed it from Jordan High, and theirs is broken. They’re getting a new one, but it won’t be here until after Christmas. The Lake Eden Players made a lot of money at the cconcession counter last year. And this year they won’t make anything.”
    â€œMaybe we can do something about that,” Lisa told Delores. “Hannah and I already agreed to make the candy and cookies for the gift bags that Santa will give to the children. There’s no reason we can’t just double that order.”
    â€œBut you manned the concession stand last year,” Delores pointed out. “Will you have time to do that again and make more candy and cookies, too?”
    â€œWe’ll make time. It’s important to support the Lake Eden Players, and I want to see the play anyway. My mother read A Christmas Carol to all of us every year, but I’ve never seen the play.”
    Hannah turned to look at Lisa in shock. Christmas was a very busy season for them. They’d been discussing it over their first cup of coffee this morning, attempting to come up with a schedule that would let them have a little more time off to enjoy the holidays with their friends and families. And now Lisa had volunteered both of them for more work! The play was being performed three times, and the concession stand would be open before the performance, and during the first and second intermissions. They’d have to be there